


give a little bit of my love to you

by angstlairde



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Episode: s03e18-21 Sozin's Comet, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Soft Katara, Soft Zuko, Waterbending, Zuko Angst, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 15:22:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16767778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angstlairde/pseuds/angstlairde
Summary: Katara hadn't allowed anyone else to come near him to try and heal him, not even the Fire Sages.promptwith a first kiss





	give a little bit of my love to you

**Author's Note:**

> mine first zutara fic, enjoy lmao

Zuko wakes with a lurch - all he can see is red, literally, red curtains, red sheets, red shirt - his chest is burning, he doesn't know where he is, and then he knows exactly where he is. _Fire Nation Royal Palace_ , he thinks with a flash of panic, he's - and -

"Easy, Zuko, it's okay, you're alright," comes Katara's soothing voice, and a cool hand on his forehead.

Zuko can breathe again. He turns his face into her hand, relaxing instantly. He's not alone.

"You looked pretty tense there," Katara murmurs, her fingers still soft on his forehead. "Everything okay?"

"Okay now," he says, opening his eyes to meet her blue ones. "Okay now."

A split second passes before she smiles at him, warmer than the sun, something he finds a little ironic, and it warms him all over, better than the burning in his chest from Azula's lightning. 

"Well, since you're awake, it's time for another healing session," she tells him, folding back the rumpled blankets. "You're burning up," she says worriedly as her fingers brush against his skin when she pushes open his soft shirt.

He finds he has the strangest urge to say 'only my love for you,' which is odd because he doesn't love Katara... and because he currently is burning from a fever from the hole in his chest caused by Azula's lightning. 

"Zuko?"

"What?" he says, startled, and hopes he doesn't sound as snappish as he thinks he did.

"Just checking in. You zoned out there for a second," she says as she summons the water to coat her hands. She presses them to the angry, red, barely-healing place just under his sternum and the relief is instantaneous. The sound that comes out of his mouth is almost embarrassing, and Zuko is thankful it's Katara, not anyone else who heard it, because she only smiles at him and goes back to her work.

Katara hadn't allowed anyone else to come near him to try and heal him, not even the Fire Sages. He wonders how anyone got healed without a waterbender. Iroh had told him that she had been fiercely protective the first night and day, when they hadn't been sure if he was going to live or not. He had said once Zuko woke up that first time, Katara had collapsed from exhaustion and slept for almost a whole day next to him.

Zuko's eyes flutter shut as she works, breathing evening out until she thinks he might be asleep. Katara pulls back carefully when she is through, bending the soiled water bacm into its bowl. His eyes open when she stops, and he watches her quietly as she tidies up and brings over fresh bandages.

She's beautiful in the setting sun that filters into the room, he thinks.

And then -

 _Shit_ , he thinks.

"I thought you were asleep," she says softly, setting the cotton on the sheets next to him. For a moment, Katara just sits by his side. Then,

"I never got to thank you," she says. Zuko blinks.

"You - what?"

"Thank you," she repeats. "For saving my life."

Her eyes are earnest and enrapturing and so blue.

"I - you're welcome? I mean... who wouldn't?" 

He means that. Who would hesitate to jump in front of lightning for Katara?

She looks at him carefully, her eyes skirt across his face, and then she smiles a little, and stands.

"Well, thank you."

She turns and begins to walk away, and Zuko feels a sudden, overwhelming wave of panic was over him so hard he feels like he can't breathe, like if he had been standing, he'd be on the floor.

"Where are you going?" he asks, feeling like he can't breathe. She's walking away from him.

Katara glances at him over her shoulder as she piles the dirty bandages into a basket.

"I need to get rid of the dirty water and have the cleaned. I'll only be gone a few minutes."

Katara starts to leave, turning her back on him and he can't breathe.

"Wait!" he gasps out, lurching upwards. Katara spins around immediately, the dirty linens dropping to the floor, racing back towards him to press him gently back into the mattress.

"What's wrong?" 

"Don't leave me," he says, trying to keep the desperation clawing at his throat from showing, as he clutches at her hand. Zuko is pretty sure he fails. "Please, don't leave me."

"Hey, I won't go anywhere, I'm right here," she tells him climbing onto the bed next to him. He hates how big it is. He hates how soft it is. He wishes he could go back to sleeping in a circle around the fire, friends on either side, so he was never alone. "What's wrong, Zuko?"

"Please, don't leave me alone," he mumbles, turning his face into her hand when she presses it to his cheek. He doesn't realize he is crying until she catches his tears on her fingertips. "I hate it here. I hate it."

"I won't leave you. I won't," she promises, and he feels a little less empty and alone when she presses her body against his side, draws one of his arms around her waist.

"I'm not going to leave you," she says softly, brushing her fingertips against his temple, into his hair, and Zuko believes her. He thinks he might be able to bear being at the Palace with her and with the others.

A few moments later, when his breathing has returned to normal, and he is no longer crying, Katara gives him a smile.

"Hi."

It makes Zuko smile a little.

"Hi."

"Better?"

He nods. Spirits, she's so beautiful. He wants nothing more than to reach out, curl his fingers against her neck, draw her close enough to press a kiss to her mouth -

But he can't, he won't, not without asking, and he's not so sure what she would say. He knows Aang has a thing for her, and doesn't know if Katara has a thing for Aang, and honestly, it's probably better for all parties involved that he keeps his mouth shut for once.

"Zuko..." his names slips out of her mouth like a whisper, and her fingers are soft against his cheek, and he can't look away from her. "Can - can I kiss you?" she asks next, a little timidly, and he doesn't catch her words because he's too focused on how timidity sounds and wrong when Katara uses it.

"Er - what?"

Her cheeks turn a little pink, but Katara holds his gaze and asks again, and this time it sounds like the Katara he knows.

"Can I kiss you?"

It's everything he's ever wanted and his mind is screaming say yes, you idiot, but he can only stare at her in awe.

"Z - Zuko?"

"Yes," he blurts. "Yes, you can."

And then Katara beams at him and he already can't find his breath when she eases closer and presses her lips to his. 

It's hardly anything, barely a brush of the lips, but he finds himself struggling to breath afterwards, clutching at her waist.

"Can you... can you do it again?" he asks a little sheepishly. She laughs, soft and bright, and nods.

"Yes," she tells him. "I'll do it again as many times as you want."

Oh, he thinks when Katara kisses him again, less airy this time, a little firmer, but no less sweet, _oh_. 

Zuko might take her up on her offer.


End file.
